Ontario Garden Sheds
Most shed companies build to the minimum. We build to the spec. Every time, on every job, whether the customer can see it or not. Here is exactly what that means.
The problem with the industry
When you buy a shed, you see the outside. You do not see what is behind the siding, under the roof, or inside the wall assembly. These are the hidden decisions. They determine whether a shed holds up in year three, or starts causing problems.
Most sheds nail T1-11 or LP SmartSide panels directly onto 2x4 studs. No OSB underneath. No house wrap. One layer of engineered wood is the entire wall. Moisture gets in. There is nothing behind it to stop it.
Industry standard is 6 feet. Some builders market 7 feet as an upgrade. At 6 feet, a tall person cannot stand upright. Storage is limited. The space feels like a closet, not a building.
Shingles need slope to work. On a low-pitch roof, frost creeps under the shingles, pushes them up, and they fail. Steel on low pitch causes condensation problems without a proper base layer. Most shed builders install whatever the customer picks regardless of pitch.
Most shed builders frame at 24-inch on center regardless of what siding they install. That works for some materials, but thin vinyl profiles (D4, Dutch lap) are designed for 16-inch on center support. Combine wide framing with thin vinyl, and the siding flexes, nails work loose, and panels pull away over time.
How Backyard Escape Studios builds
We do not cut corners on the parts customers cannot see. We follow manufacturer specifications on every build. Here is what that looks like in practice.
We start at 8 feet on the front wall, sloped to the back at 5 degrees. No upcharge. Full lumber length, no waste cuts. You feel the difference the moment you walk in.
Standard is 2x4 walls and 2x6 rafters, both at 24 inches on center, with rafters stacking directly on studs. Stack framing transfers load cleanly without a double top plate. When a siding material requires tighter nailing, like thin vinyl, we frame at 16 inches on center. The framing matches what we install on it.
Behind every siding system we install, whether steel, pine, vinyl, or MAC, there is OSB and house wrap. We use quarter-inch OSB as the minimum because even at that thickness it does three jobs: it gives the siding a solid backer, it lets us pull the house wrap tight against the wall, and it adds real sheathing strength to the structure. We step up to 7/16 inch OSB or half-inch plywood when the build calls for more. The metal shed builders that nail steel straight onto studs save money, but their walls sweat on the inside in Ontario winters.
We use 7/8 inch and half-inch corrugated steel. Both are strong, rigid structural profiles. Which one ends up on your build depends on supplier availability for the colour you choose and delivery time on the order. Both are strong enough to span 24-inch on center framing. Once installed, steel is maintenance free for the life of the building. No painting, no rotting, no warping. The thin steel profiles that other shed builders use to keep costs down are not in our system at all.
Low-slope roofs get self-adhering membrane (SAM). Steep roofs get steel with the proper base layer. We follow manufacturer specs and talk customers out of the wrong roofing choice when necessary.
Our standard door is a sliding barn door in marine-grade plywood. We also use steel entry doors where appropriate. We do not install the flimsy wood shed doors you find on most builds.
Build options
Regardless of which finish option you choose, the framing, wall assembly, and structural spec stay the same. You are choosing the look and surface materials. You are not trading quality for price.
One layer of self-adhering membrane (IKO, Henry Fast Roof). Rolled out and heat-adhered, it bonds into one continuous waterproof blanket with no seams to fail. The same system used on commercial flat roofs. Properly applied for low slope.
Same membrane system, doubled. Extra protection and redundancy. Recommended for any roof that may see standing water or heavy Ontario winters.
Steel roof panel with proper base layer underneath. Matched to the correct pitch. We do not install metal on low-slope roofs. Long-lasting, maintenance-free, and the strongest roof option available.
7/8" corrugated steel in standard classic colours. Installed horizontal or vertical. OSB backer and house wrap behind it. Already maintenance-free for the life of the building.
Same 7/8" corrugated profile. Matte textured finish that reduces glare and looks more refined than standard steel. Significantly better curb appeal without changing the structural system.
Wood grain finishes and premium colour options. Includes the option to upgrade to a different steel profile entirely. A visual statement that no standard shed can match.
Slow-grown lodgepole pine, kiln dried, tongue and groove. The interlocking joint means the boards move as a system with Ontario seasons. No battens to loosen, no gaps opening up. Already above anything the competition offers as standard.
Premium thickness (0.046"), rigid foam backing, deep shadow lines, woodgrain finish. We use this because it does not look like vinyl. Lifetime warranty, Canadian made, maintenance free. We avoid standard D4 vinyl because thin profiles flex, fade, and look cheap. West Ridge is the one vinyl that earns its place.
Steel siding with a wood-grain imitation finish and a 40-year warranty. The look of real wood with zero maintenance. The most durable front wall option available. Holds up through every Ontario season.
Built on site from marine-grade plywood. The sliding design gives you the full opening width with no swing into the shed and no door catching the wind on the way out. Already a higher-grade door than the aluminum-wrapped wood doors used as standard across the industry. Can be built as a double sliding door for a wider opening.
Same marine-grade plywood as the sliding barn door, built on site as a hinge door. Practical when a sliding door is not the right fit for the layout. Same material standard, just a different operation.
Full house-grade insulated steel entry door. Can be painted or unpainted, with or without a window. The same door you would put on a house. Maintenance free, secure, and built for four-season use.
How we compare
This is not a marketing table. These are real specs pulled from competitor websites. Where information was not publicly listed, it is marked accordingly.
| Company | Wall Height | Framing | OSB + Wrap | Roofing System | Doors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Box / Kit Sheds | |||||
| Home Depot KitsSuncast, Arrow, Keter | 4–6 ft | Resin or thin steel panels, no real frame | No | Plastic or thin metal panel | Basic panel doors included |
| Cedar ShedKit shed, Canada | ~6 ft | 2x4 studs, 16" OC | No | Shingles. No membrane listed. | Wood doors included |
| Custom Ontario Builders | |||||
| Summit ShedsOttawa, custom | 7 ft Markets as upgrade | 2x4, 24" OC / 7/16 OSB roof deck | Partial Roof deck only | Architectural shingles. No membrane listed. | Steel house doors |
| The Shed CompanyGTA, custom | 6 ft std | 2x4, 24" OC standard | No | 25-yr shingles | Standard wood doors |
| Old Hickory BuildingsUS-based, large chain | 6–7 ft | 2x4 or 2x6 OC framing | Not listed | Shingles standard | Wood or steel options |
| Backyard Escape Studios | |||||
| Backyard Escape StudiosOntario, custom | 8 ft front wall, standard No upcharge. Sloped to back. | 2x4 walls + 2x6 rafters, 24" OC Stack framing. 16" OC when siding requires it. | Yes, always OSB + house wrap on every build | SAM membrane or steel matched to pitch Correct system for every roof | Marine-grade plywood barn door or steel entry door |
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